When Canada Life Centre opens its doors to concertgoers Wednesday night, it will be a moment many have been waiting for their entire lives.
Iconic musician Bruce Springsteen is wrapping up his 2024 tour with a jaunt through Canada — including a stop here in Winnipeg, for the first time ever.
The gig was originally intended to take place in November 2023, but fans’ hopes were dashed when a last-minute case of peptic ulcer disease sidelined the now-75-year-old singer.
On Wednesday, though, The Boss is here — for real this time — and fans are looking forward to seeing their hero grace the big stage at Winnipeg’s downtown arena.
For one fan, Wednesday night will be far from her first time seeing Springsteen in concert, but it might be the most emotionally impactful one.
Diane Geddes told 680 CJOB’s Connecting Winnipeg she’s travelled to more than 60 of Springsteen’s concerts, and describes each one as a near-religious experience.
“There’s just something about his lyrics that resonates, sort of hits you,” she said.
“There’s music for when you feel in a good mood, there’ s music for when you feel down. You’re in a frump and all of a sudden a Bruce song comes on and it’s just something that connects with our inner being.
“It’s hard to explain… you become hooked, almost. It’s like a religious, inspirational experience… a whole lot of people who just for a short period of time forget all the other things going on in their lives and they just let loose.”
Geddes, whose favourite Springsteen song changes by the hour, said she’s counting down to the big show.
“I’m absolutely pumped, I’m just sort of prancing around and waiting for the clock to tick down. In some ways, I’m almost speechless, which is very rare for me.”
Kevin Donnelly, senior vice-president of venues and entertainment for True North Sports and Entertainment, said the concert will be one of the biggest in the Canada Life Centre’s history.
“It’s not common that we have the entire building sold,” he said. “There’ll be people in every direction, 360 degrees around. The performer will have the screaming, cheering Winnipeggers and some people from abroad, all over.”
There will be about 16,000 people all in all, Donnelly said. “The demands for this show, it’s high.”
The VP said he has been trying to get Springsteen to Winnipeg for at least 20 years, and has appreciated the patience of fans like Geddes during the process.
“It doesn’t get much better than today with Bruce Springsteen in the building. It doesn’t get much better than this,” he said.
“It’s happening,'” Gedde said. “It just took so long. But some things are worth waiting for.”